The Case for Plant Proteins in Southern Africa…lentils
H. A. Pswarayi
University of Nottingham
Problem: Sick Food Systems
- Deficient in protein, micro-nutrients:
- MAPS project, and Geonutrition studies.
- Low crop productivity
- acidic soils, and poor soil fertility.
- Government policies
- promoting tobacco and staple maize,
- leading to increased rural poverty,
- due to lack of profitable alternatives.
- Climate change
- Southern Africa particularly vulnerable,
- to increased drought frequencies.
A Strategic Solution…lentils
- lentils, most efficient for supplying the deficient nutrients
- because cheapest to grow and buy (MAPS simulation)
- lentils are a strategic:
- because of multiple attributes
- that can cure the sickness of the food systems
Lentils improve human health…
- They are nutritious:
- rich in protein,
- rich in complex carbohydrates,
- rich in minerals: K, Mg, Fe, Se, folate, Ca, P, Zn
- richest in fiber, good for digestion, insulin regulation
Lentils improve soil health
- lentils encourage good soil husbandry
- by encouraging farmers to ameliorate soil acidity,
- because lentils are very sensitive to acidic soils
Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…severe stunting
Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…susceptible to drought
Lentils are water efficient…
- lentil crops require minimal rainfall
- about 300 - 500 mm, annually
- compared to maize that require about double
- hence, lentils adapt better to shortening of rainfall seasons by climate change
Lentils reduce domestic energy consumption…
- Because they cook in 10-30 minutes,
- which saves energy,
- and reduces deforestation,
- Firewood, a primary source of domestic energy in southern Africa
- due to low generation capacity of electricity
- and a large, and poor rural population
Lentils improve animal health…
- Because lentil stover is:
- more palatable,
- higher in digestibility,
- nutrients: protein, Ca, and P,
- and is better than cereal stover.
Lentils and gender…
- lentils require minimum inputs
- ideal for poor female headed households
- lentils are less complicated grow
- therefore, ideal for illiterate women/widowed households
- lentils cook quickly
- therefore less firewood collection
- which affords women rest time
- and time with children
Lentils and intercropping…
- lentils can be inter cropped with cereals
- raising land productivity
- especially for small land holdings
- lentil inter crops benefit cereals
- because lentils fix nitrogen
- which will be utilized by the cereals
Lentils, a profitable cash crop…
- Lentils have a multi-billion pound (£) international market
- major consumers in south Asia (e.g., India)
- where lentils are integral to daily diets
- Canada, the largest producer, and exporter
- mainly by large-scale prairie farmers
- India, the second largest producer
- mainly by small-holder farmers
Introducing lentils into Southern Africa…
A Food Systems Approach…
- A focus on production, consumption, marketing, storage:
- Production:
- developing/evaluating varieties, learning agronomy
- Consumption:
- innovating and promoting lentil dishes
- Marketing:
- developing local and international markets
- Storage: ensuring product quality
The Multiple Disciplines…
- Plant breeders, agronomists, soil scientists,
- nutritionists, public health, extensionists,
- Post-harvest scientists, plant protection,
- Sociologists, Statisticians, agricultural engineers,
- Economists, marketing, Trade,
- Farmers, households, NGOs, policy makers.
Project status…
- The journey began in Malawi, in 2023/4 cropping season
- with stakeholder engagement
- and 3 pilot trials, in 3 environments,
- to identify future breeding materials,
- to identify suitable environments,
- to learn lentil agronomy
Identifying future breeding materials…
- Evaluating 570 accessions from ICARDA:
- For traits of interest:
- drought tolerance
- heat resistance
- high yield
- disease and pest resistance
- early maturity
